Power that comes from the energy created from moving water
Facts about Hydropower:
In the United states, hydropower is the renewable energy source that produces the most electricity.
In 2008, 6% of energy was created from hydropower, and 67% of energy from renewables came from hydropower.
Hydropower is dependent on the water cycle.
Most of hydropower is produced in the West, mainly three states- California, Oregon and Washington.
-Washington produces 31% of hydropower, where the biggest hydroelectric "facility" is, the Coulee
Dam.
The Hoover Dam: http://www.odec.ca/projects/2007/truo7j2/hydropower-plant-usbr-hoover.jpg
History: One of the oldest sources of energy
First use of hydropower in the U.S. was in 1880, "when 16 brush-arc lamps were powered using a water turbine at the Wolverine Chair Factory in Grand Rapids, Michigan." ( EIA energy)
First hydroelectric power plant- Fox River near Appleton, Wisconsin, on September 30, 1882.
Hydropower through the years:
B.C.
Hydropower used by the Greeks to turn water wheels for grinding wheat into flour, more than 2,000 years ago.
Mid-1770s
French hydraulic and military engineer Bernard Forest de Bélidor wroteArchitecture Hydraulique, a four-volume work describing vertical- and horizontal-axis machines.
1775
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers founded, with establishment of Chief Engineer for the Continental Army.
1880
Michigan's Grand Rapids Electric Light and Power Company, generating electricity by dynamo belted to a water turbine at the Wolverine Chair Factory, lit up 16 brush-arc lamps.
1881
Niagara Falls city street lamps powered by hydropower.
1882
World's first hydroelectric power plant began operation on the Fox River in Appleton, Wisconsin.
1886
About 45 water-powered electric plants in the U.S. and Canada.
1887
San Bernardino, Ca., opens first hydroelectric plant in the west.
1889
Two hundred electric plants in the U.S. use waterpower for some or all generation.
1901
First Federal Water Power Act.
1902
Bureau of Reclamation established.
1907
Hydropower provided 15% of U.S. electrical generation.
1920
Hydropower provided 25% of U.S. electrical generation. Federal Power Act establishes Federal Power Commission authority to issue licenses for hydro development on public lands.
1933
Tennessee Valley Authority established.
1935
Federal Power Commission authority extended to all hydroelectric projects built by utilities engaged in interstate commerce.
1937
Bonneville Dam, first Federal dam, begins operation on the Columbia River. Bonneville Power Administration established.
1940
Hydropower provided 40% of electrical generation. Conventional capacity tripled in United States since 1920.
1980
Conventional capacity nearly tripled in United States since 1940.
2003
About 10% of U.S. electricity comes from hydropower. Today, there is about 80,000 MW of conventional capacity and 18,000 MW of pumped storage
Advantages Generating electricity, using water, has many advantages:
-Water is a source of cheap power
-->Once the dam is built, hydrpower is virtually free (Andy Darvill)
-Due to there being no fuel combustion, using water causes little air, or water, pollution compared to the pollution created from fossil fuel plants, and less thermal pollution compared with the pollution created from nuclear plants (EIA)
-Hydropower is clean. It prevents the burning of 22 billion gallons of oil or 120 million tons of coal each year. -Hydropower does not produce greenhouse gasses or other air pollution and leaves behind no waste.
-Much more reliable than wind, solar or wave power (Andy Darvill)
-Electricity from hydrpower can be generated constantly (Andy Darvill)
Disadvantages Using water for generation does have its limitations:
-The dams, themselves, are very expensive to build (However, many dams are also used for flood control or irrigation, so building costs can be shared) (Andy Darvill)
-Environments are impacted, caused by damming rivers and streams (It is difficult to find a suitable location to build a dam) (Andy Darvill)
-->This affects the habitats of local plant, fish, and animal life, along with homes and land use (EIA)
-->Reservoirs can cover the homes of humans, important natural areas, agricultural land, and archeological sites: Sometimes, building dams can require people to relocate (EIA Kids)
-Hydroelectric plants consist of both a dam and a reservior
-->These structures can obstruct fish migration which would eventually affect their populations (Andy Darvill)
-->Operating a hydroelectric power plant can also change the water temperature as well as the river's flow: These changes may harm native plants and animals that live in the river and on land (EIA Kids)
-Methane, which is a strong greenhouse gas, has the ability to form in some reservoirs which could then be emitted to the atmosphere. (EIA Kids)
Diagrams of how a hydropower plant works-
The water behind the dam flows through the intake and into a pipe called a penstock. The water pushes against blades in a turbine, causing them to turn. The turbine is similar to the kind used in a power plant, but instead of using steam to turn the turbine, water is used. The turbine spins a generator to produce electricity. The electricity can then travel over long distance electric lines to your home, to your school, to factories and businesses.
(California Energy Commission: Energy Quest)
Hydro power today can most likely be found in mountainous areas of states where lakes and reservoirs are located and along rivers
(California Energy Commission: Energy Quest)
Use by countries: http://new.wvic.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7&Itemid=44 Cost: In the U.S., hydropower is produced for an average of 0.85 cents per kilowatt-hour (kwh). This is about 50% the cost of nuclear, 40% the cost of fossil fuel, and 25% the cost of using natural gas.
Sophie Weiner and Ashton Lager
What is Hydropower?
Power that comes from the energy created from moving water
Facts about Hydropower:
In the United states, hydropower is the renewable energy source that produces the most electricity.
In 2008, 6% of energy was created from hydropower, and 67% of energy from renewables came from hydropower.
Hydropower is dependent on the water cycle.
Most of hydropower is produced in the West, mainly three states- California, Oregon and Washington.
-Washington produces 31% of hydropower, where the biggest hydroelectric "facility" is, the Coulee
Dam.
The Hoover Dam:
http://www.odec.ca/projects/2007/truo7j2/hydropower-plant-usbr-hoover.jpg
History:
One of the oldest sources of energy
First use of hydropower in the U.S. was in 1880, "when 16 brush-arc lamps were powered using a water turbine at the Wolverine Chair Factory in Grand Rapids, Michigan." ( EIA energy)
First hydroelectric power plant- Fox River near Appleton, Wisconsin, on September 30, 1882.
Hydropower through the years:
Advantages
Generating electricity, using water, has many advantages:
-Water is a source of cheap power
-->Once the dam is built, hydrpower is virtually free (Andy Darvill)
-Due to there being no fuel combustion, using water causes little air, or water, pollution compared to the pollution created from fossil fuel plants, and less thermal pollution compared with the pollution created from nuclear plants (EIA)
-Hydropower is clean. It prevents the burning of 22 billion gallons of oil or 120 million tons of coal each year.
-Hydropower does not produce greenhouse gasses or other air pollution and leaves behind no waste.
-Much more reliable than wind, solar or wave power (Andy Darvill)
-Electricity from hydrpower can be generated constantly (Andy Darvill)
Disadvantages
Using water for generation does have its limitations:
-The dams, themselves, are very expensive to build (However, many dams are also used for flood control or irrigation, so building costs can be shared) (Andy Darvill)
-Environments are impacted, caused by damming rivers and streams (It is difficult to find a suitable location to build a dam) (Andy Darvill)
-->This affects the habitats of local plant, fish, and animal life, along with homes and land use (EIA)
-->Reservoirs can cover the homes of humans, important natural areas, agricultural land, and archeological sites: Sometimes, building dams can require people to relocate (EIA Kids)
-Hydroelectric plants consist of both a dam and a reservior
-->These structures can obstruct fish migration which would eventually affect their populations (Andy Darvill)
-->Operating a hydroelectric power plant can also change the water temperature as well as the river's flow: These changes may harm native plants and animals that live in the river and on land (EIA Kids)
-Methane, which is a strong greenhouse gas, has the ability to form in some reservoirs which could then be emitted to the atmosphere. (EIA Kids)
Diagrams of how a hydropower plant works-
The water behind the dam flows through the intake and into a pipe called a penstock. The water pushes against blades in a turbine, causing them to turn. The turbine is similar to the kind used in a power plant, but instead of using steam to turn the turbine, water is used. The turbine spins a generator to produce electricity. The electricity can then travel over long distance electric lines to your home, to your school, to factories and businesses.
(California Energy Commission: Energy Quest)
Hydro power today can most likely be found in mountainous areas of states where lakes and reservoirs are located and along rivers
(California Energy Commission: Energy Quest)
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/hydropower-plant-parts.gif
Use by countries:
http://new.wvic.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7&Itemid=44
Cost:
In the U.S., hydropower is produced for an average of 0.85 cents per kilowatt-hour (kwh). This is about 50% the cost of nuclear, 40% the cost of fossil fuel, and 25% the cost of using natural gas.
VIDEO:
CLICK HERE FOR A VIDEO ON HYDROPOWER